Rare sequential illustration for an article about "clubbing without smartphones", published in the newspaper Het Parool's weekly supplement PS, 31 August 2024. Translation: "I lived for the moment. Was fully immersed in it. I broke free from the normal world. Freedom! But who will ever believe it?!"
Martyn F. Overweel was an Amsterdam-based Dutch artist and designer, known for his offbeat and at times subversive illustrations, which nevertheless appeared in mostly mainstream media. Among his regular clients were the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant and the Belgian weekly Humo. Together with Gabriël Kousbroek, he was responsible for the alternative art zine series Anus (2015- ). In addition to visual media, Overweel was also a performer, best-known as a DJ and for his appearances as "Kaiser Küttlipp II".
Early life and career
Born in Haarlem in 1971, Martyn F. Overweel attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague during the 1990s. Initially, he studied Graphic Design, but discovered he didn't want to work with computers. Preferring paper, markers and pencils, he moved to the Visual Arts faculty, and graduated in 2001. After a bout with cancer, of which he was cured, he sold his first editorial illustration to the newspaper De Volkskrant in 2003, and his work as a freelance artist took off. For most of his career, Overweel lived and worked in Amsterdam, where he had his atelier in a former theater in the Nieuwmarkt neighborhood. In style, spirit and graphics, his artwork was reminiscent of the American punk artist Raymond Pettibon and the Monty Python animations of Terry Gilliam.
Illustration for the book supplement of De Volkskrant (28 June 2025). Translation: "Vive La France! The dignity of a country isn't forced by panzer divisions, but with the best traditional meals and wines."
Idiosyncratic illustrator
While labeled as an illustrator, Overweel had a highly personal interpretation of this profession. Instead of merely illustrating the content of an article, he took inspiration from its subject and gave it an artistic and often subversive spin. In general, his characters were drawn realistically with a small brush and Indian ink, but his artwork was otherwise made on loose pieces of cardboard (in all colors and shapes), and he deliberately kept mistakes like ink drips and smudges, which he felt gave the drawing spontaneity. Even though his artwork contained elements of comic language like word balloons, Overweel rarely used sequential narratives, as he couldn't draw the same character over and over again. To him, each drawing had to be unique.
Illustration commissioned by Volkskrant Magazine on the theme of feminism and male sexuality (2021).
In his subject matter, Overweel was constantly searching for contrast, for instance showing a well-dressed newsreader simply saying the word "anus", a marital dispute over the dishwasher being fought out with whip and hammer, or an erect phallus dressed as a Tibetan monk. Fuelled by his self-proclaimed dirty mind, recurring themes in his work were sex, naked people and Nazis. The accompanying dialogue or caption texts, crafted in precise angular lettering, often threw the reader off balance or put things into perspective in a humorous or melancholic way. Unleashed, his illustrations often outgrew their source material, and got a life of their own. At exhibitions, they could hardly be distinguished from his personal artwork, for instance during his 2020 show 'Stay Away: It's Nothing Personal' at Gallery Van Zijll Langhout or his 2025 open-air exposition against the exterior wall of the Amsterdam pop temple Paradiso.
"If you load the dishwasher so tightly, it won't get properly clean!" "Sure it will!"
Despite his liberal approach to commissions, Overweel worked mostly for mainstream media, and at times he himself was surprised that his clients actually dared to print his drawings! His drawings appeared regularly in the Dutch newspapers De Volkskrant and Het Parool, and also in magazines like Nieuwe Revu, Vrij Nederland, Filosofie Magazine, National Geographic, HP/De Tijd, Amsterdam Weekly, Adformatie, Playboy, VIVA, Psychologie Magazine and Gay Krant. In Belgium, he worked for the weekly Humo magazine and the newspaper De Morgen. Further clients included the Amsterdam library OBA, the social advertising foundation SIRE, McDonald's, the KesselsKramer advertising agency and Just Publishers.
Cover for Nieuwe Revu (6 August 2025) and Anus #5 (2020).
Anus
Together with his artist friend Gabriël Kousbroek, Overweel created the ironic art zine Anus, which appeared annually during a period of five years. The magazine was founded in 2015 in response to the terrorist attacks on the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine, and offered the duo's artist friends an outlet for their politically incorrect work. Under the slogan "no shame, no opinion, no pride, no principles, anus!", the launch of each new issue came with performances and playful actions. In 2020, the Anus team celebrated its fifth anniversary in comics shop Lambiek with the release of the fifth issue. Since then, new issues have appeared more sporadically.
Kaiser Kütlipp II beer label (2015).
Performer
In addition to graphics, Overweel also dabbled in performance art. Between 2004 and 2009, he formed the illustrious DJ duo UNISECS with a former university friend, the graphic designer Dennis Koot. In 2025, the two artists joined forces again for a combined exposition of their work at the Gallery MAI in Amsterdam. At Amsterdam art events, Overweel was most recognizable as his "Kaiser Küttlipp II" persona, the "Patron of the Arts and Beers". With Prussian helmet and a curly mustache, this spitting image of German emperor Wilhelm II originated from the labels Overweel designed for the cult beer Kaiser Küttlipp II, launched in 2015 by the artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam through their Eurotrash Brewery in Rotterdam.
Prints by Overweel. Translation of the second drawing: "To communicate is really necessary during bondage. Always agree on a word to indicate quitting everything."
Death
In 2025, Martyn Overweel was diagnosed with metastatic cancer with no chance of a cure. In the final months of his life, he was working on an overview book of his artistic legacy. Among the titles he considered were 'Deadline' and 'Between two cancers'. Unfortunately, he didn't live to finish the project, as he died in Amsterdam on 26 March 2026, at the age of 54.
Gabriël Kousbroek and Martyn Overweel, AKA Kaiser Kütlipp II promoting their magazine Anus. Translation: "Put your money in our anus!"